This invention is directed to ostomy pouches and more particularly to a novel flushable ostomy pouch.
One of the problems associated with ostomy care is the disposal of the ostomy collection pouch after it has been used. If the used pouch is disposed of by flushing down a toilet, there is a risk that the pouch may become trapped in a toilet passage or sewer line, thereby causing plumbing problems. Thus some users empty the contents of the pouch into the toilet and then discard the pouch in the garbage.
Other users dispose of the used pouch and its contents in the garbage, which usually necessitates prewrapping of the pouch with paper and/or placement of the used pouch in a plastic bag prior to disposal. Regardless of which measures are taken to dispose of a used ostomy pouch, the process is generally unduly laborious and oftentimes discomforting.
Thus there has been an ongoing effort to develop an ostomy pouch that provides relatively trouble-free flushability down a toilet.
A major problem in flushing an ostomy pouch down a toilet is that the coupling or securing structure around the waste inlet opening of the ostomy pouch, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,372,308, can cause the pouch to become trapped in the flow passages of the toilet or in a connecting pipe or sewer line.
Efforts have thus been made to form ostomy pouches of materials that soften and become slimy or slippery when contacted with water to promote flowage in pipelines and flow passages.
While pouches that become slimy or slippery upon contact with water help minimize clogging and trapping problems associated with flush disposal of ostomy pouches, they can be discomforting if they become wet while being worn. Such pouches might discourage a user from engaging in swimming and other physical activity and would require protective covering while showering. Furthermore, such pouches may still cause clogging in toilets with relatively low volume flush capacity.
Another structure that facilitates flush disposal of ostomy pouches is that of U.S. Pat. No. 4,830,187, which shows a carrier sleeve or bag into which a pouch can be placed before flush disposal. The sleeve or bag forms a slimy or slippery layer when exposed to water, thereby sliding on surfaces that might otherwise cause snagging of the pouch. However, since the carrier sleeve conforms to the pouch during flushing, a pouch with a coupling that is not flexible enough to negotiate the flow passages in a toilet may still become trapped even with a slippery carrier sleeve.
It is thus desirable to provide an ostomy pouch that can be adapted to easily flush down a toilet, even a water-saver toilet, and which has an optimum height, width, and convergence angle to facilitate flush disposal.